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J. W. MOPFITT. DENTAL ARTICULATOR.

No. 431,849. Patent-ed July 8, 1890,

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UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN IV. MOFFITT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE n WILMINGTON DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DENTAL ARTICULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,849, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed November l1, 1889. Serial No. 329,886. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN NV. MOFFITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Dental Articulators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a dental articulator that the movements of the natural human jaw will be closely imitated and the articulator so adjusted that the teeth can be set to accurately lit the mouth whether the jaws are directly above each other or whether the upper jaw-overlaps the under jaw or the under jaw extends beyond the upper jaw, the device being so constructed that the bite upon the teeth is perfectly imitated, so that when the teeth are set in the mouth they tit accurately or require very little adjustment. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aperspective View of my articulator. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the jaws closed, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the jaws partly open, illustrating the biting effect.

A is the carrier for the xed upper jaw B, corresponding to the upper jaw of the mouth,

, this carrier being recessed and the recess receiving the shank l) of the jaw B, which is slotted, as shown. Passing through this slot and tapped into the carrier A is a set-screw c, so that on loosening this set-screw the jaw can be adjusted horizontally to accommodate dierent forms of mouths. Projecting from the rear of the carrier A is a suitable handle a. Projecting upward from the carrier Aisa post C, flattened at the rear, as shown in Fig. l, and adjustably secured to this post is a yoke D, having a set-screw d, which bears against the post, so that by unscrewing the set-screw the yoke can be raised or lowered v on the post to accommodate high or low mouths. This yoke has two arms d', having that there is but a triiing variation in the shape and dimensions of the lower jaws of grown persons, so that by taking the measurement of an ordinary jaw and constructing the articulator in accordance with such measurement the articulator will be adapted for any ordinary range of work. i

By pivoting the lower jaw E at c, which 1s the pivot-point of a human jaw, accuracy of bite is insured. The portion e of the 6o lower jaw is parallel with the upper jaw B, and after the upper jaw has been set the required distance from the lower jaw by means of the post O and set-screw d a set-screw F, which passes through the carrier A and rests against one of the cross-pieces of the portion e of the lower jaw, sets the upper jaw 1n a line parallel with the portion e of the lower jaw. A j am-nutF is provided on the set-screw F for retaining the set-screw in the position 7o in which it is set. The portion e of the lower jaw E, as will be seen in the perspective view, is of a shape corresponding with the shapeof the mouth, so that the teeth can be readlly set upon the upper and lower jaws for adjustment and regulation. By loosening the set-screw d. the upper jaw can be swiveled transversely in respect to the lower jaw to imitate the side movement of the jaw, and at the same time the biting movement can 8o also be imitated without losing the vertical adjustment of the jaws in respect to each other, which is very important in the setting of teeth.

lt will be understood that variations in different human jaws are variations in the relative position of the jaws and not in the shape of either jaw, and all of these changes in the relative position of the natural jaw are provided for in my improved articulator. 9o

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in an articulator, of the upper-j aw plate audits carrier,a yoke mounted upon said carrier, and a lowerjaw plate having upwardly-projecting arms pivoted to said yoke above the level of the upper-jaw plate, whereby the arcs in which the plates swing will approximate those of the natural human jaw, substantially as specilied.

2. The combination, in an articulator, of roo the carrier, the upper-jaw plate adjustably mounted thereon, a post on said carrier, a yoke adapted to slide vertically upon said post, and a lower jaw pivoted to said yoke and of a size conforming' to the natural human jaw, substantially as described.

3. .The combination of the carrier A, an upper-Jaw plate thereon, a vertical post on said carrier, a yoke adapted to slide and turn on said post, a set-screw on said carrieradapted to bind upon said post, a lower jaw ot' the form substantially as described pivoted to said yoke, and a set-screw on the carrier adapted to rest upon the lower jaw so as to adjust the upper jaw and its carrier in respect to the lower jaw, substantially as described.

4. The combination,in an articulator,0f the In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN W. MOFFITT. Witnesses:

R. SCHLEICHER, HARRY SMITH. 

